Cuff link



H. RUF

July 3, 1956 CUFF LINK Filed Aug. 9, 1952 FIG. I

FIG. 3

FIG. 2

INVEN TOR MW 22,4

ATTORNEY CUFF LINK Hermann Ruf, Union, N. 1., assignor to Forstner Chain Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application August 9, 1952, Serial N 0. 303,488 4 Claims. (Cl. 2497) The present invention relates to cuff links, and has particular reference to cuff links with a movable head adapted to be selectively positioned in the plane of the body portion of the cuff link or at right angles thereto.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an improved spring latch assembly for releasably locking the movable head in selected angular relation to the cuff link body.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved construction for the movable head which permits a simple mounting on the body and prevents removal therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cuff link construction having a small number of parts designed to provide exceptionally long life for the cuff link, and readily manufactured and assembled.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in view, the invention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully described in the detailed description following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and more specifically defined in the claims appended thereto.

In the drawings;

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an illustrative cuff link embodying the novel invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central section therethrough, showing the arrangement of the parts when the movable head is at right angles to the plane of the link body;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the parts of the movable head and its spring latch assembly.

It has been found desirable to provide a latch assembly for a cuff link having a fixed ornamental head and a movable retainer head, the retainer head being selectively turned to a position in line with the cuff link body and at right angles thereto, which eliminates pressure and wear on the retainer head and thus permits use of precious metals such as gold and gold filled stock for the retainer head parts. To this end, I have devised a hollow retainer head made of shell parts which are readily manufactured and assembled, and I provide a novel spring latch mechanism comprising two spring elements which cooperate with a cross bar of rectangular or square cross section forming part of the link body, and which interlock to absorb the resilient pressure exerted when the retainer head is selectively turned on the cross bar.

Referring to the drawings, the cuff link disclosed in Fig. 1 includes a connector post 11, preferably made of wire or rod stock and shaped to provide two spaced arms 12, 13, a cross bar 14 between the arms, and two contiguous ends 15, 16 which form a securing portion 17 and are adapted to be soldered or otherwise secured to an ornamental head 18 of any desired shape and ornamentation. The cross bar 14 is of rectangular crosssection, and preferably of square cross-section, the upper and lower surfaces 19, 20 of the cross bar being at right new 2,752,654 li atented July 3, 1956 angles to the arms 12, 13 as shown in Fig. 3, and the side surfaces 21, 22 being generally in the plane of the arms.

The spacing between the arms 12, 13 permits the pivotal mounting of a hollow retainer head 23 therebetween on the cross bar 14, the retainer head being made of two sections or shells which are mounted in any suitable manner on the cross bar. The illustrated embodiment includes an upper shell 24 having a top 25 and a cupped edge 26, the top 25 being provided with a central pivot opening 27, and a lower shell 28 having a bottom 29 and a cupped edge 30 adapted to telescope into the upper shell edge 26, the bottom 29 having a pivot opening 31 which is in alignment with the pivot opening 27.

Although the retainer head may be of any desired shape and ornamentation, it is preferred to form the shells 24 and 26 of oval shape, as illustrated. The spring latch assembly includes two leaf springs 32, 33 each having an elongated arcuate body 34 and a reversely turned The shells 24 and 26 are preferably assembled and joined with the spring latch mechanism therein by soldering or swaging the shell edges, and mounting on the post wire before the ends 15, 16 are joined to form the connecting portion 17 and secured to the ornamental bead.

As clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, the flat surfaces of the cross bar are selectively engaged by the inner surfaces of the oval spring latch mechanism to releasably retain the retainer head at right angles to the connector post or in line therewith. As the retainer head is snap turned, the leaf spring bodies are spread apart against the resilient tension of the inturned flanges by the edges of the cross bar, whereby there is no direct reactive contact of the spring ends with the inner walls of the retainer head.

strength and long life, without damage or wear to the metal of the retainer head.

Although I have disclosed a specific embodiment of the invention, it is obvious that changes in the size, shape and arrangement of the parts may be made to meet the requirements of different cuff link designs, without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a cuff link, a connector two spaced parallel arms at one end thereof, said arms being connected by a cross bar of square cross section, and two contiguous ends at the other end thereof constituting a securing portion, an ornamental head mounted on the securing portion, a hollow retainer head centrally pivotally mounted on said cross bar, and a spring latch assembly in said retainer head comprising two leaf springs each having an elongated arcuate body and a reversely turned arcuate flange at one end connected to the body by a bend, the curvature of the body and the flange being in opposed relation, the other end of each leaf spring body being seated beneath and engaging the inner surface of the other leaf spring flange and the outer surface of each flange contacting the inner contiguous surface of the retainer head, and the inner surface of each leaf spring body engaging the cross bar, whereby said retainer head may be selectively snap held in alignment with and at right angles to the connector post.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said retainer head being oval in shape.

post of rod stock having 3 3; In the combination of claim 1, said retainer head consisting of two interlocking shells.

4. In the combination of claim 3, said shells being oval in shape.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 4 Simpson Apr. 23, 1940 Cronan Jan. 20, 1942 Peterson July 19, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria Jan. 25, 1924 Germany Mar. 29, 1928 

